


Taken Away To The Dark Side

by utouchmycookie



Series: You're Gonna Sing the Words Wrong [2]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Because I made that point in Part 1, Character Death, Clint loves his kids, F/F, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, I am so sorry, I could maybe pass APUSH, I went through every Spider-Woman (2016), If I did this much research for my classes, In the last few panels, Including Kate, It is gonna hurt here, Just going to sneak in..., Looking for three words, M/M, Multi, Other, There was a vote but I ignored it because sadness, Turns out they were in the last volume, YOU DO NOT PASS APUSH AT MY SCHOOL, all of them - Freeform, but really, just kidding, oh well..., pregnancy child babies kids children kid mother mom love original child character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 06:42:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18845728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/utouchmycookie/pseuds/utouchmycookie
Summary: My edition of Infinity War and Endgame post-Riptide by sergeant_angel.Grab some tissues, guys. Because I took a vote of three people, and then I ignored it and made it sadder anyways.





	1. Infinity War

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter shouldn't be TOO surprising.

"We haven't heard from Wanda?" Steve asks.  
"No." Kate says, piloting the Quinjet with Sam.  
He glances at Wanda's sons and one of her son-in-laws. "And there's reported lights fighting in Edinburgh?"  
"Yes." She unhelpfully agrees.  
"Tony's still missing?" As if things couldn't be better.  
"Yes." She agrees again.  
"Shit." He decides.  
"Yes." Kate agrees again. Even in bad times like these she makes him smile.  
"Kate -" he starts, she cuts him off: "Already set course for Edinburgh." He smiles at her again, this time physically turning his head to smile at her, only seeing her black hair. He wants to run his fingers through it, wants to kiss her; he's a sap in love and he knows it.

They crash the station unnoticed. He goes first, appears dramatically behind the train in the shadows, pointedly ignoring her quick response of, "I'm telling Bucky!" She possibly maybe won't. His chances go up because of her likelihood to obtain a concussion.   
Alien 1 throws its glowing, three-pronged staff thing and he catches it in one hand. He steps forward into the light, showing off his weird beard Kate hates. Then Sam swoops in and knocks Alien 1 through a window and into tables and chairs of the cafe. Sam returns to shoot at Alien 2. With the alien things distracted, he throws the staff to Kate - knowing she'll be fine using a weapon not hers (Clint calls it her Signature Move) - who's running at Alien 2, pinning it between them. The clash is fairly quick, a few strikes being switched as Kate attacks Alien 2. It's heading for over when Kate lands a nasty jab in it. It winces and she does a twirly kick thing that comes from training with bendy assassins to get it out of the way.  
The staff is yanked away from her by Alien 1, and he darts, tucking and rolling to grab Alien 2's staff while fending Alien 1's attacks off. He shoves upward and lashes out at Alien 1. Alien 1 is not dumb though, and gets away from him to go after Kate. She ducks until he's open to lash out at Alien 1 again. Luckily, Kate gets ahold of half the staff and yanks just when Sam drives his feet into Alien 1's head. Alien 1 rolls, and then crawls to Alien 2. "Get up." Alien 1 demands of her partner.  
"I can't." Alien 2 responds.  
"We don't want to kill you, but we will." Kate warns as the three of them corner the duo.  
He and Sam were soldiers, Kate is an assassin. Killing isn't beyond them, try as they might to avoid it. "You'll never get the chance again," Alien 1 informs her and slaps its wrist; blue consumes them and they fly up, yanking away the staff from him as they go.  
They return to the couple, curled up across the tracks. Sam leads the way, "Can you stand?" he asks as he tugs Vision up without an answer.  
"Thank you, Captain." Vision tells Steve. Steve stares for a moment, flanked by Kate and with Sam supporting Vision, Wanda breaths away, before responding.  
"Let's get you on the jet."

Kate closes the doors to the jet as Natasha speaks in a live hologram. "I thought we had a deal. Stay close, check in."  
"We just wanted time," Wanda says curling up with Vision and petting Tommy, who has settled on her other side. Pietro had been left home, and they'd brought Billy and Teddy and Tommy as back up, but they had been on the watch for more aliens. Not the younger couple were curled up opposite of Wanda, so Billy could watch his biological mother and brother and still be cuddled. Steve stands outside the cockpit again, and watches Natasha speak to Wanda, with Clint and toddler Nate in the background.  
"Where to Cap?" Sam asks from the copilot seat.  
He pauses, looking at Clint, thinking. "Home." He decides.

Holograms of the defense department wander around, Rhodes the only real man in the room - in every sense of the phrase. "Secretary," he greets, Kate flanking him as she tended to. Sam was behind them, holding Vision up, Wanda beside them. The boys file in after them.  
Words are exchanged, words Steve doesn't bother to remember. It's all pointless bureaucracy bullshit and Sassy Steve. Rhodey gets orders to arrest them, but doesn't do so.  
Also, Bruce has returned.

Wakanda is a mess.  
The only good part is the extra help they've amassed, and of course, Bucky. And his stupid goats. Kate and David had slammed through their phone tree, but chased baby heroes off. Warned them to stay home in case the attack gets out of Wakanda. It's how Kate controls the Defenders too - because Jess Jones and Luke Cage are not above finding a babysitter for their very young daughter. The rest of the Avengers (except Iron Man and Spiderman) join them, the X-Men join them, Noh-Varr joins them, Clint and Natasha join them, Wakanda joins them, Thor and his talking tree and raccoon (Kate knows them too, apparently) join them.  
But it's not enough.  
It will never be enough.  
A resonating snap, a surge of energy, and dust.  
Bucky. T'Challa. Groot the Tree. Wanda. Sam.  
Clint and Natasha both dial their families desperately. It doesn't work. Kate curls up in their arms to watch the security feeds. Laura, Cooper, Lila, Little Nathaniel. Nick and Maria. Sharon.  
There's a call across the few remaining Wakandans - Princess Shuri.  
Spiderman, Stark, the tree and raccoon's companions in space, Dr. Strange, and Scott and Cassie Lang are presumed Dusted, because they are all unreachable.  
Noh-Varr and Tommy, they go too.


	2. Endgame Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, we begin the Endgame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few differences...

On the positive side, they gain Captain Marvel. Carol Danvers. Teddy's Kree auntie.  
Kate knows who she is because she multiversally kicks ass. Also, she knows the glorious pet Flerken Kate has been slowly making love her more than Fury. And Captain Marvel so kindly brings Nebula and Tony back.  
Then they kill Thanos.  
But half the universe is still dead.

Five years. Five years they drag through life, tending to Bucky's remaining goats. Five years introduces Morgan. Five years and half the world is in the dark.  
Steve fights forward, brings her pictures of whales in the rivers, hosts meetings. Natasha is desperately running everything, Clint is even more desperately running away from everything.  
And then? Everything changes because Cassie and Scott? They aren't dead, and they have an idea. One that they bring to Tony first, who chases them off (Kate slips in and tells Pepper what's going on). One that they bring to Bruce second, who doesn't actually know what he's doing.  
Scott runs the initial tests, which is equally horrifying and amusing. And then Tony appears, with all their answers and Kate isn't dumb enough not to realize that this is about Spiderman. Still, he kisses her forehead in a familiar way and now that they know how... Well, they need a bit more team.

"Don't!" Clint barks at Natasha.  
"Don't what?" She responds.  
"Don't gave me hope!" She flinches back at his harsh tone, but Kate uses the chance to surge forward. He pivots to face her and she lets all the masks fall.  
"Don't leave us behind." She pleads, "Don't leave us alone."  
He takes Natasha's hand on one side and hugs Kate to him on the other side. It reminds her of lazy summer evenings, racing Lucky and Cooper while Clint held Laura's hand just like that and huddled Lila this close to him (except she was so much smaller, she was perched on his arm with her legs swinging) while Natasha and Nick followed behind at a leisure pace with Baby Nate and bemused smiles.  
"I don't want to be alone again." She admits. He kisses her head and they stand there surrounded by dead Japanese bad guys, getting drenched by Tokyo's downpour.

Cassie is biting her lips, fretting. She and Scott each have a test trial particle, plus one round trip for each Avenger. Clint is watching from where he's leaning on the door of the room. "I'll do it." He offers.  
"I can go with him."  
"We can't ask you guys to do that, Kate..." Cassie responds immediately.  
"You aren't asking us, and you are scared to death, Bug." Kate responds. Clint looms behind her, all imposing with his rough style and tatted arms and dangerous haircut. 

They're in the barn. The futzing barn of all places. Clint walks out, only paying enough attention to her to hold onto her wrist, two fingers firmly kept against her pulse. Inside the house, Lila yells at Cooper. Clint sways on his feet. "No." She tells him, "We can't. For them."  
"I'm sorry, about these years, Katie." He tells her.  
"I'm sorry that I couldn't do more." She tells him.   
"You did enough. More than enough. You always do." He wraps his arms around her and suddenly they're being yanked back to the dreary Earth after Thanos, Natasha grabbing at them immediately.   
"So, it worked." Clint huffs, Kate still wrapped in his embrace.

Rocket and Nebula join them. Bruce and Rocket drag Thor back. Okoye and Carol can't make it, but the boys (except Tommy and Noh) can. Rhodey flies in, America hot on his heels. Kate raises an eyebrow at the sight of the God, and Clint barely holds on to his mask of emotions.  
However, even he can't help but exchange looks with Rhodey when Thor starts in on Jane and Frigga and the Reality Magma, and Kate doesn't blame Clint one bit.  
Natasha's insistence on them all going to one time makes sense, but also they have enough people and Pym Particle to be okay. She leaves Nat be though, because Nat needs this. Plus, it's kind of funny to see her go through the stages of College Group Projects. She does, however, make sure to inform Clint of the fact that three stones were in New York during New York. Something she doesn't want to miss seeing, but is willing to knowing what is coming.

"Futzing Carnie Gods," Clint hisses, "That's the Red Skull."  
"Trying to control the Tesseract sent him here?" She guesses.  
"Son of Edith and Daughter of Clinton." Her husband's Not-Dead-Enemy greets them. Kate's body tingles, Clint grips her arms. "The universe accepts what you accept, Child."   
Kate really does not like the Red Skull, she decides. He seems far too impressed by their fight to stop the other. Fuck him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Press next chapter before you kill me PLEASE.


	3. Endgame Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family matters, guys.

Peter hears Tony's yell and swings frantically towards him. Then what Tony yells registers in his mind. Dust floats around him, but this time it isn't the strange aliens and Doctor and himself on Titan, this time it's Thanos and his army.  
He knows Black Widow from the news, from the times she's visited the mansion. Now, she looks like he's never seen her before. Scared, angry, sad. She places her hand carefully on the cheek of the older Hawkeye that is fried from using the stones; his uncharred skin contrasts with Nick Fury's hand.  
"Where's Kate?" The Winter Soldier asks Captain America. "She should get to see him one last time too."  
"You should sit," Captain America says softly.  
"Steve? Kate should get to see Barton, you ain't helpin' her by shielding her from it!" The Winter Soldier snarls.  
"Bucky, sit." Captain America shoves him down, and then sinks beside him, chest heaving and eyes wet.  
"It's okay," Fury tells Hawkeye, "We'll be okay. We love you."  
"We lost Nick and Laura and the kids," Black Widow tells him, crying, "And then we lost Kate, but I had you and then we had Nick and Laura and the kids, but I cannot fault you for this because Kate isn't coming back. I - there was always a possibility, with the others, and I always had you two, but she can never come back and I can't blame you Clint. It's been hours, and I miss her so much, but I can't imagine what you saw. I loved her, but you loved her so much. She was one of the kids," Hawkeye's eyes squeeze as she says this, and tears drip down his face, "I'm so sorry, Love. You saved my life, so many times, so you can rest now. Easy. We all love you, we will all miss you, but we will all be okay."

In another universe, Tony Stark dies, and all the families reunited who loved him mourn him; in that universe, Natasha and Vision have no funerals, and everyone else lives, except Gamora. In this universe, there is no funeral. There are three kids and three lovers who cry for a husband, a father and a daughter, a sister who had cried for them, as well as the two lovers who had survived them all. Others mourn, and apologize, but the Hawkeyes' sacrifices are remembered only by the other heroes. Gamora is mourned by her own ragtag family in both universes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, if Clint could say something he would be talking about seeing Kate die and that is why he did it.
> 
> Still a chapter to go...


	4. Hardships of Losing Loved Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. This is it.

"Today is not the day." She whispers; "Please, not today." Her companion is insistent, as are the aliens slowly creeping closer. "Okay, okay, if today is the day then can I at least deal with these things so that you'll be safe?"  
Whether or not her companion agrees is not of any concern to her, because she really does need to deal with the hostiles. She does so as quick and quiet as she can, and seeing as she is nine months pregnant (ready to pop), a simple Terran (backwards planets), and entirely too female to be dangerous (sexism is in fact universal), it isn't hard. Plus, the hormones coursing through her make her incredibly efficient at dealing with literally everyone - just in time to give birth.  
The labor is intense, difficult, and defined by the eerie loneliness. Gamora and Clint would find her soon, of course, but apparently not as soon as she would like seeing as she's already got the baby born, cut, checked, cleaned, fed, and sleeping when they get there. She whimpers when Clint gently sinks down behind her, helping support her body and the baby in her arms. "Alright Baby," the little girl drags open her newborn eyes at her mother's voice, making Kate smile. "This is Papa Clint, and this is Auntie Gamora."  
"You would have me as an Aunt to your child?" Gamora asks.  
"If you're willing, I'd like you to be her godmother." Kate responds.  
"Godmother?" Gamora questions.  
"It's some old Christian thing, but forget the religion part, I'm more interested in the Super Invested Aunt figure part. The whole If-I-Die-And-Baby-Daddy-Dies-And-All-The-Grandparents-Die-Then-You-Get-Custody bit." Kate explains. "You've been with me more than Baby Daddy has for this whole pregnancy."  
"I would be honored. It shall be my glorious duty to see your growth, Niece." Gamora says sternly. Kate smiles.  
"Awesome. We have to try to get back to Earth now," Kate says, "I just maybe possibly kind of sort of stopped a Kree-Skrull War from happening by knocking them all out. Plus, you've got a lot of peoples to meet, Miss Birdie." Clint grins in her hair at the name - the same as his endearing nickname to his ex-wife, the one he couldn't say to her without pouring love into it. Divorce didn't mean lack of love.

They don't make it back to Earth any time soon. In fact, they get stuck at Xandar and end up helping piece the Nova Corps back together. It's hard work, grueling work, but they smash their way through and easily make themselves elite. They all four live in one little alien house, among the many Nova Corps' families. When they aren't off fighting or diplomat-ing or swapping tales of glory, Kate finds herself cuddled with Birdie. Clint and Gamora alone she trusts to handle her baby. Clint had worried about Postpartum, but that wasn't quite right. What was right was crippling anxiety and all her mental trauma built up with instincts and hormones and incubating a being she had mostly made and done all the hard work to create. It could've been problematic, if not for the fact that they were regarded as unknown. Not one alien suspected a thing, because Terrans were mysteries.  
When Birdie is peacefully sleeping in her Voldurian Incubation Field (1), Kate finds herself wandering out to enjoy time with Clint or Gamora or the small alien children who thinks she is the coolest being in the Galaxy (and most of the older boys are constantly flirting with her, to Clint's endless amusement; apparently, even in space her looks are wanted and she fits in easily as a truly stunning Xandarian).

So the story of how they came back to life is complicated. She and Gamora are more easily explained - they died for the Soul Stone, a soul for a soul. Steve had replaced the stone she died for, upsetting the balance. She was brought back to life all those years later, because that is when she was destined to be alive. When Thanos destroyed the stones, there was no need for Gamora's life to be kept in trade. A Soul for a soul was unfulfilled once again, and Gamora had been returned to life. Similarly, Clint had died from the power of using the stones, yet there were no stones in their time, for Thanos had destroyed them all and the stones had never been misplaced from time. And so, Lady Death had gleefully dragged them back to Vormir to be alive as she sentenced Johann Schmidt to his death, to be punished eternally.  
As for what Kate had done to pass the time she had to wait for Gamora to die? Well. It was far more simple. Death had free parking and delicious milkshakes. She had inhabited Lady Death's palace, and amused herself by flouncing among the Lands of Dead. She'd swathed trough Kurt's father's army, beat up as many Greek and Roman warriors she could find, hung out with Leah, and claimed an Army of Dead as her own afterlife warriors. 

Back in the present, she found herself in an all around staring contest of uncomprehending. Somehow she was looking into the eyes of Steve and Bucky and the boys and Natasha and Tony and all the Avengers -.  
"Katherine of Earth," a familiar voice greets her, and okay, that is someone she can deal with, "You died."  
"And how many times have you?" She responds immediately, but opens her arms and instantly receives her hug.  
"I missed you," Loki murmurs. She whacks his head hard to make sure it's him. "Ow!"  
"Kate? But you - you died." And oh man, Bucky had been dead when she last knew of him too.  
"Six years." She tells him.  
"It's been the worst twelve months of my life." Right, Birdie is five months old and Kate was two months pregnant when died and when she was resurrected. That's a year.

As heartfelt as those moments are, they can't resolve the inevitable difficulties. Kate had spent five years with only Steve, and then one without either. One with the company of Clint and Gamora being the only adults for ten months, two months on Xandar. Seven months making a baby, five months raising it on instinct and Clint's knowledge.  
The whole matter of that aside, Kate's problems rear their ugly heads. Only Gamora had Clint can touch Birdie. It seems that even Steve and Bucky can't get any further than her panicking if they don't warn her, which they find ridiculous. Everyone else gets it, nobody else complains about her being in the room to be allowed to handle Birdie. Bucky deals, grumpily, and Clint and Gamora try to make him comfortable by following the same standards of everyone else, but it doesn't work out. Birdie wants to be held when Kate can't hold her, and she knows Gamora and Clint. Kate doesn't flip out when she finds the with Birdie, and really, she feels they should be glad she lets them hold Birdie when she isn't in the room. Steve doesn't deal, they just fight.  
It takes a very long time for things to be okay, and a whole lot of intervention. Luckily for Kate, everybody (else) seems to have realized that her problems correlate well with her giving Birdie age appropriate independence. Except Steve and Bucky. They just think things are getting better, and in some ways, they are.  
The bumps smooth out and life rolls on. Kate takes in Not A Cat But A Flerken (from another universe. Goose's Earth-616/1610 form of Chewie has flerkittens, 117 of them, and the lovely Mama is happy to leave Kate with a Flerkitten companion for Birdie) named Black Cat, and things go smoothly (until they don't, because Terrible Twos, Tantrumous Threes, and Tuesday-Thursday 'Turprise Time Travel).

 

(1) Voldurian Incubation Fields are a legit thing in Marvel, with possibly only one appearance - Carol gives one to Jessica Drew to help her protect her house from her son, Gerry Drew, who was just realized to have her spider abilities in Spider-Woman (2016) Vol 6 17.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They eventually fixed it. Maybe. I hope. Or not. I don't know. I'm debating doing a big Kate is a Single Mom thing because... I don't know, I like it?
> 
> So how did you guys feel? I had gen variants of this chapter but none of them were quite this... Real.
> 
> And yes, Kate does own an Army in Hell and wrestled Julius Caesar and won.


End file.
